Seat Belt with IR Absorbing Material Woven Pattern

Abstract

A seat belt webbing (100) includes a plurality of strands of infra-red reflecting yarn (112). A plurality of strands of infra-red absorbing yarn (110) are interwoven with the strands of infra-red reflecting yarn (112) to form the webbing with a pattern that is identifiable when the webbing (100) is subjected to infra-red light. An infra-red absorbing yarn precursor masterbatch includes a thermoplastic and an infra-red absorber mixed therein. The mixture is cut into a plurality of pellets for subsequent addition to thermoplastic pellets. In a method of making a fabric an infra-red absorber is added to a thermoplastic to form a homogenous mixture, which is extruded and spun to form an infra-red absorbing yarn. The infra-red absorbing yarn along with infra-red reflecting yarn is woven to form the fabric that has an identifiable infra-red absorbing pattern therein.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.